Former Blackpool boss Gary Bowyer is in the running to make a return to Bloomfield Road to become the club’s new manager, according to journalist Darren Witcoop.
The Tangerines are looking for a new manager to lead the club into League One following relegation from the Championship which saw the Bloomfield Road outfit plummet back to the third division alongside Wigan Athletic and Reading.
Gary Bowyer is in the running for a return to Blackpool. Bowyer, who has quit as Dundee manager less than a week after leading the club to the Scottish Premiership, has previously been linked with the vacancy at Bloomfield Road #blackpool
— Darren Witcoop (@DarrenOWitcoop) May 10, 2023
Who is Gary Bowyer?
Gary Bowyer has been around the management game for a little while now ever since taking his first steps with Blackburn Rovers. The 51-year-old had been on the books of Ewood Park since 2004 and has gone through the managerial ranks at the club by first starting out as their under-18’s manager, as well as becoming the manager of the club’s reserves and then becoming the first team’s assistant manager, before taking the top job at the club in 2013.
Managing 127 matches at Blackburn Rovers between March 2013 and November 2015 before being sacked by the club, Bowyer would waste very little time in returning to management as he joined Blackpool in the summer of 2016.
His first season at Bloomfield Road would prove to be a successful one as he guided the Tangerines back to League One at the first time of asking following a 2-1 victory against Exeter City in the League Two Playoff final at Wembley Stadium.
A 12th place finish for Blackpool would come in their first season back in League One but after only one game into the 2018/19 season, Bowyer would step down from managing the club after being in charge for a total of 115 games at Bloomfield Road.
Less inspiring spells at Bradford City and Salford City in League Two would follow, before making the move up to Scotland last June to take charge of Dundee in the Scottish Championship.
Following a season in which Dundee sealed promotion back to the Scottish Premiership, the 51-year-old would go on to leave the club a week after lifting the Scottish Championship title, with rumours of a return to Blackpool very much in swing.
Dundee Football Club can confirm the departure of manager Gary Bowyer and assistant Billy Barr #thedee https://t.co/hKHBEczWL7
— Dundee Football Club (@DundeeFC) May 10, 2023
Blackpool – A season of disappointment
It has been a turbulent season in the Championship for Blackpool as they make the drop down back into League One following two seasons in the second division, being joined by Wigan Athletic and Reading in the process.
Following the departure of Neil Critchley to become Steven Gerrard’s assistant head coach at Aston Villa, the Tangerines turned to Michael Appleton in the summer to lead the club into the new season but was eventually sacked in mid-January following a run of only one win in their last 11 matches.
The Bloomfield Road outfit then looked to experienced manager Mick McCarthy in a desperate bid to turn their fortunes around but following a poor run of results in which the club would go on to lose six of their last eight games, McCarthy would go on to leave the club by mutual consent in early April.
With Stephen Dobbie in interim charge until the end of the season, Blackpool were unable to gather the results required to stay in the Championship as they were relegated to League One, collecting a total of 44 points, winning a total of 11 games and finishing 23rd in the league.
You can read more on Blackpool’s season from one of our writers by clicking here!
Writer’s View
I see two sides to the argument when it comes to a possible return to Blackpool for Gary Bowyer. The first one is that it is a perfect appointment if the club are looking for a person who knows the club, the fans and what is expected of them. In that regard and with the success he previously had at the club, I think Gary Bowyer is an excellent fit.
The other point however and more to the point that I don’t think it would be a good fit is primarily on what he has done since leaving Blackpool. Yes, his spell in Scotland in the Scottish Championship this season with Dundee has been excellent, but his previous spells in the EFL in charge of Bradford City and Salford City haven’t been inspiring, to say the least.
It certainly wouldn’t be a terrible choice if Bowyer was to make a return to Bloomfield Road, but I think Blackpool could potentially go in for a better name as well.
I think a young up-and-coming manager will be the best option for Blackpool at the moment, such as Pete Wild. The bloke who owns them at the moment has appointed quite a few former managers for second spells since he took over the club and tbh none have done particularly well although I wouldn’t be surprised if he was to go for Bowyer or Neil Critchley